Dress form



June 18, 1929. c. A. UFFORD *DRESS FORM Fild Oct. 30,

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C lw/ Patented June 18, 1929.

UNITED STATES CHARLES A. UEEORD, or noRoHEsTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

DRESS FORM.

Appncauon filed october so, 1926. serial No. 145,297.

This invention relates to sectional dress forms and has for kits object to provide a novel means for adjusting the size of the dress form at'the waist line by which the operation of eiecting the adjustment may be facilitated and maybe accomplished without the necessity of reaching into the interior of the form through the armholes to loosen or tighten the nuts or clamping screws.

In accomplishing the object of the invention I provide an actuating member which extends upwardly through the neck ofthe form and 1s vertically movable relative to the form and also provide a novel connection between said member and the yform aty the waisty line, whereby when said member is raised the dress form will be contracted at the waist line and when said member is lowered the dress form will be expanded. Since this vertically movable member can be actuated from above the form the operation of expanding or contracting the waist line is greatly simplified and made extremely easy. f j' j,

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be Idescribed after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a dress form embodying my invention and showing said dress form contracted;

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the rdress form expanded;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the neck.y y j' The dress form shown in Figs. 1 to 5 is indicated generallyat 1 and it is divided in a familiar way to form four neck sections 2, eight bust sections?) and eight hip sections 4, this being a common way of dividing a dress form. The bust sections and hip sections are hinged together by suitable hinge connections 5 as usual and theL hip sections are adjustably secured `at their lower ends to a cruciform member 6 which is adjustably mounted on the stand 7. The connection between the hip sections and the member 6V is, or may be, all as shown in my Patent No. 1,504,456, dated August 12, 1924.

Each hip section 4 is formed with an inwardly-directed connecting plate 8, said 5 plates being slotted and being connected to the slotted arms of thecruciform member 6 by means of clamping bolts The bust members 3 are connected together so as to permit them to expand and contract. Every other bust member has connected thereto two slotted straps 10 whichextend in opposite directions, each strap yoverlying the adjacent section. Each of the other sections has a screw-threaded stud 11 anchored therein which extends through the slots 01"' the overlying straps 10 and if'desired each stud may carry a "clamping nut 12 for retaining the straps on the studs. It is not intended, however, that these'clan'iping'nuts shouldbe set up tight as it is desirable that the straps should be free to slide one on the other as the forni is expanded or contracted.

Extending vertically through the form is an actuating member 13 in the form of a rod,` the lower end of which ytelescopes into the tubular stand 7 and the upper end of which extends up through the neck of the form and projects above the form. This actuating member 13 is so connected to the form atthe waist line that the raising of the actuating member willr contract the formandthe downward movement of said member will expand the form. In Figslfl and 2 the connection between the actuating member and the ydress form is inthe form of a lazy-tongs device 14, thel lower end of said device being connected to two of the hip sections 4 immediatelyjadjacent the waist line. This lazy-tongs structure comprises a series of-pivotally-coimected links, the upper links ofwhich arepivoted to the actuator at l5. The lower ends 19 and 20 ofthe lower arms or links of the lazytongs'structure are pivoted` at 16 and 17' respectively to the front and rear'hip sections 4, each of these 'hip sectionsfhaving an year 18 secured thereto vto which the link is pivoted.)

lVith this construction it willbe seen that when the actuator 1.3 is raised relative to the form the lazy-tongs structure will be extended vertically with the result that the 'lower ends 19 and20 of the lower links will be drawn 'tofront and rear hip sections inwardly. This movement will have a tendency to contract the entire form at the waist line because of the movement of the upper end of the lary-tongs gether asy shown in Fig. 1 thus pulling/the vious.

Vrelative to they lower end willr contract the lazy-tongs structure and thus force the lower from each other. YT his will have a tendency to expand the form at the waist as will be obwhich is connected to the rear of the form is shorter thanthat connected to the front of the formas shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The advantage of this is that it tends to, keep the form in proper. positionl as yit is expanded and contracted. lfwhen the actuator is manipulated to contract the form the upper hip sections to which the lazy-tongs is secured are contracted or pulled inwardly to a greater extent than ythe other Vsections the proper symmetry of the form maybe secured by simply pressing gently inwardly at the sides ofthe form. f The loose'connection of the overlapping straps 10 permits'this correction to be made readily.

' Similarly, if when vthe actuating member is forced downwardlyl to expand the form it is foundV that the front and rear Vhip sections are pushed outwardly to a greater extent than the side sections, `the'required symmetry of the form maybe readily secured by simply pulling outwardly on the side sections.

Meansare providedtor locking the actuating member 13 in any adjusted position. As

herein shown said actuating member extends up through a sleeve 21 to Vwhich the neck sec- 7 tionsare clamped, said sleeve ycarrying a `ing the actuating memberk 13 in its desired clamping screw22 for the purpose ofclampposition. Vhen the :clamping screw 22 is loosened the actuator 13 may be easily moved up vor down. while when the adjustment has been secured itmaybemaintained by tightening up the clamping screw 22;

Each of the necksections has the usual y plate 23 extendinginwardly therefrom, said plates overlappingeach other` and each provided with a .slot through which the sleeve 21 extends. This sleeveis formed on its lower end with` a collar 24e and has screw-thread- -ed thereto a clamping kcollar When the panded not-only at the waist butY also at the Y hips, the hip adjustment being `secured .by

loosening the clamping bolts 9. It itis desired to expand or contract the waist .without adj usting the hips this may be done simply kby Vmanipulating, the actuator 13. lf, however, an adjustment at the hips is required as well as at the waist then, of course, the clamping screws 9 will have to be loosened. However, since the nuts on these clamping screws 9 aresituated ony the under side they can be readily( reached. y y

I lind it desirable to so connect the bust sec- The lower arm of the lazy-tongsV tions tothe hip sections as to leave a slight space between said sections as this will perat they waist line j without binding. 'f

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the Vlazy-tongs deviceais connected to the front Vand rear of the form only. lVith this construction when the actuating member is moved up or down the formwill be expanded or contracted at the front andy rear and then somemanual manipulation may. be required to properly adjust the form at the sides.

My improvements thus provide for adjusting the form atthe waistV line without the necessity of reaching into the form to loosen or tighten a series ofnuts or screws. y `llclaim:V

1. A dress form comprising a plurality of sections adjustable relative to each other, a ltubular stand on which said dress form is mounted, an actuating rod telescoping vinto saidstand and extending above the neck of the lat-ter, and a plurality of links *pivotally .connectedV together to form a lazytongs device which is pivotally connected at its upper end to said rod and at its lower end to the waist portion of vthe form, ywhere-V afm' divided vertically in a plurality ofplaces, straps loosely connecting the sections at the waist line to permit them reelyto expand and contract, a rod extending vertically throughk theiorm and above the neck of 'the latter, said rod being vertically movable relative -to the form, a plurality of links connected to'form a lazy-tongs structure, said structure being pivotally connect-ed at its upper end to the rod and havingy its lower endl pivotally connected to the dress form at the waist line, whereby vertical vmovementiof the rod will operate to expand or contract the form.

A dress form divided vertically in a. plurality ot places to provide sections adjustable i relative to each other, straps loosely connecting the sections at lthe waist line, a rod extending vertically through the form and above the latter, said rod being vertically movable relative to the form, a lazy-tongs structureV connected at its upper end to said rod and the'lower end presenting two arms which are pivoted to the front and rear of the form at the waist thereof, whereby vertical movement of the rod will operate through the lazy-tongsconnection to cause the form to expand or contract at the waist..l

et. A dress form divided vertically in a plurality of places, straps loosely connecting the sections at the waist line to permit them to freely expand and contract, a vertically movable actuator extending through the form and above the latter, a lazy-tongs connection between said actuator and the dress form at the Waist line, whereby vertical movement ,of the actuator Willoperate to expand or fcontract the form, a sleeve at the neck portion through which the actuator extends, and means for clamping the actuator' to the sleeve in any adjusted position. n

5. A dress form divided vertically in a plurality of places to form a plurality of sections, means loosely connecting the sections at the Waist line to permit them freely to expand and contract, a vertically movable actuator extending through the form and at the Waist line and the other of which is pivotally attached to the rear of the form, the

latter arm being shorter than the former* arm.

In testimony `whereof, I have signed my name to this speclhcation.

CHARLES' A. UFFoRD. 

